Aarons losing battle to be fir for Newcastle’s trip to Liverpool

Miles Starforth

ROLANDO Aarons is battling to be fit for Newcastle United’s visit to Anfield – but the odds are against him lining up against Liverpool.

Aarons has been sidelined for the past five months with hamstring and thigh injuries.

The 19-year-old winger returned to training at the club’s Benton HQ last month.

But, crucially, Aarons was NOT fit enough to be involved in Tuesday night’s Under-21 game against Middlesbrough at St James’s Park, decided by a goal from visiting midfielder Emmanuel Ledesma.

Ideally, Aarons would get a reserve run-out under his belt, or play in a behind-closed-doors game, before he makes his Premier League comeback.

With Aarons having having suffered a couple of setbacks during his time on the sidelines, United’s medical staff are likely to err on the side of caution.

United head coach John Carver – who is under intense pressure after Newcastle’s 1-0 Easter Sunday derby defeat to Sunderland at the Stadium of Light – is desperate to have him back available for Monday night’s game against Liverpool.

But Carver won’t take any risks with Aarons, who scored two goals in the first half of the campaign.

And the England Under-20 international – who broke into the first team early this season – could have to wait until later this month, and the home game against Tottenham Hotspur on April 19, to make his comeback.

Carver, however, is confident Daryl Janmaat will be fit to play at Anfield.

The defender felt his calf in the warm-up against Sunderland, but was patched up in time for kick-off.

Otherwise, Carver – who reported no other fresh injury concerns after the derby – doesn’t expect to have anyone else back from injury for this month’s fixtures, though forward Siem de Jong is steadily stepping up his workload.

De Jong suffered a collapsed lung, the second of his career, in February.

Carver’s side are 13th in the Premier League – and BOTTOM of the six-game form table – with seven games left to play.